Mixing and dispensing device



Aug. 15, 1950 F. E. MOSBY, JR 2,518,709

MIXING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Dec. 8, 1947 IN V EN TOR.

f/me [Masay J2 IIg [13- Arr y Patented Aug. 15; 1950 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICEv 2,518,709 MIXING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Fink E. Mosby, Jr., Santa Monica, Calif.

Application December 8, 1947, Serial No. 790,401

Claims.

This invention relates to a mixing and dispensing device and moreparticularly to one for comingling and discharging a plurality ofliquids simultaneously.

The device of the present invention is particularly adapted to be usedas a showed head in a bathroom although as will be apparent from thefollowing description, the device is not limited to ashower head. Infact the device can be used in any application where a plurality ofliquids are to be intermixed and discharged in spray form.

It will be seen thatthe device of the present invention is one in whicha primary liquid passing through the device is adapted to entrain orpick up a secondary fluid or liquid by utilization of well-knowninjector principles. Spray nozzles, shower heads and like devicesutilizing this principle have been heretofore proposed but such deviceshave not thoroughly intermixed the plurality of liquids at or prior totheir discharge.

Such prior devices as are known have also been difficult to maintain inproper working condition as the interiors thereof were not readilyaccessible for cleaning purposes.

The device of the present invention obviates the difliculties had withlike devices heretofore proposed for the plurality of liquids arethorough- 1y intermixed before they are discharged from the device. Theintermixing of the liquids is brought about by first atomizing theprimary liquid and then forcing the atomized primary liquid underrelatively high pressure and at an angle approaching the normal into astream of the secondary liquid. The primary liquid is forced into thestream of the secondary liquid by directing the former into a hollowsubstantially spherical stream converging onto the stream of thesecondary liquid from all sides thereof and a very thorough and uniformmixture of the two liquids results.

To insure complete comingling of the two liquids, the intermixed liquidsare passed into a mixing chamber prior to discharge and as the nowcomingled liquids enter the chamber just subsequently to the admixing ofthe two liquids the same are extremely turbulent and this agitationresults in even more thorough mixing of the two liquids. The now verythoroughly comingled liquids are discharged from the device through aseries of small apertures in the form of a conical spray.

The device is quite easy to maintain in good working use for it can beeasily disassembled for cleaning the surfaces of the elements which whenassembled form-the interior surface of the device.

This obviates the disadvantages of many of like devices heretoforeproposed which were diflicult, if not impossible, to clean.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the device of the presentinvention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View of the device shown detached fromthe container forming a reservoir for the secondary liquid;

Figure 3 is a section taken along line 373 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of that part of thedevice wherein admixing of the two liquids first occurs. H

The illustrated embodiment of the present invention, referring now tothe drawing and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2 thereof,' comprisesan Open-ended receptacle In which forms a reservoir for the secondaryliquid. The external wall portion of the container adjacent the open endthereof is formed with threads or other forms of attaching means forco-action with like means formed internally of a closure member I Iadapted to close the open end of the container I0. I

The closure member II carries an upstanding stanchion I2 whichterminates in a substantially annularly shaped member I3. Extendinginwardly somewhat radially from the inner wall of the member I3.is asmall conduit I4 which is laterally deflected intermediate the endsthereof to form a projection I5 coaxially extending relative to saidannular member I3. In the illustrated form of the present invention theconduit I4 is formed integral with the annular member I3 although ifdesired it may be separately formed and subsequently attached to theinner wall of the member I3.

The bore I6 of the conduit I4 forms a continuation of a passage I'Icentrally extending through the stanchion I2 from a tapped apertureformed in the bottom face thereof. The aperture is aligned with anopening in the closure member II and receives the threaded end of atubular member I8 extending downwardly into the container III as shownin Figure 1. To prevent accidental rotation of the tubular member I8, anut I9 is threadedly mounted onto the end of the same to clamp thetubular member within the aperture of the stanchion. v

It will be seen, referring again to Figure 2, that the end face of theprojection I5 is formed with a tapped aperture concentric with the boreof the 3 same for receiving the threaded boss 2| of a plu 22. The plug22, when the boss thereof is threadedly mounted within the aperture ofthe projection 15, forms an extension of the latter. The plug 22 isformed with a passage 23 which forms a continuation of the bore I6 ofthe conduit 14 and its lateral projection [5. The plug 22 terminates atits free end in a small nipple 24 having an opening therethroughcommunicating with the passage 23 of the plug 22. It will now be seenthat there is continuous path for fluid fiow from the container to thedischarge end of the nipple 24.

The plug 22 is provided with an annular shoul der 25 formed by reducingthe end portion of the same adjacent the nipple 24. The shoulder seatsagainst an annular shoulder 26 formed internally of a longitudinallybored body element 21 having a threaded reduced portion received withinan annular flange 28 coaxially extending from the one end face of themember It. The outer diameter of the body element 21' adjacent thereduced portion received within the flange 28 is equal to the outerdiameter of the flange to the end that the member 23 and the element 2?form a smoothly contoured body member of tubular shape.

It will be seen that the hollow body element 2'! circumscribes the plug22' and that the latter completely fills the passageway 29 formed by thebore of the element intermediate the ends of the same. The passagewayalthough of a relatively large constant diameter throughout its initialcourse progressively decreases to a diameter substantially that of theplug and is sharply reduced at the shoulder 26 to a diameter justslightly larger than that of the reduced portion of the plug. The wallof the passageway 29 circumscribing the end portion of the plug carryingthe nipple 24, as best seen in Figure 4, is domeshaped or formed as aspheroidal surface 31. This portion of the passageway leads to arelatively small diametered terminal portion forming an orifice 32 inthe end face of the body ele ment 21.

A somewhat conical cap or nozzle 33'threaded onto a reduced portion ofthe element 27 completes the body member of the device. The cap ornozzle is provided with a cavityor chamber 34 the one wall of which isperforated to form a plurality of outlet openings 35. The chamber 34',it will be noted, communicates'with the passageway 29 through theorifice 32 of the body ele- .ment 21.

The device is intended to be connected to a source of primary liquidunder pressure such as the conventional household water supply line; Tothis end the annular member i3 is provided with a spherical socket forreceiving a ball '36 mounted to one end of a female fitting 37 adaptedto threadedly receive a male fitting, not shown, carried by the waterline. The ball 36 is held within the socket by a flanged ring 38 looselymounted to the fitting 3'! and internally threaded for engaging externalthreads formed on the one end of the annular member IS.

The ball 36 is formed with a passage 39 for conducting water underpressure from the fitting 31 to the interior of the annular member l3which is in communication with the passageway '29 of the element 21.Although the plug 22 completely fills the passageway 29 as abovedescribed, water is passed along the plug through a plurality ofcircumferentiall-y spaced grooves 48 'longitudi nal'ly for-med in theouter surface ofs the same.

4 The stream of water flowing through the pas sageway 29 is thereforebroken up or divided into three eircumferentially spaced streams, thevelocity of which is relatively'high. It will be seen, referring now toFigure 4, that the grooves 40, lead water, forced into the passageway29, at a high velocity against the spheroidal surface 3!. The streams ofwater impinging against the spheroidal surface 31 are atomized anddirected by the surface in spheroidally converging streams into mutualintersection at the orifice 32.

As will be understood the reduced water passage formed between the endface of the nipple 24 and the spherical surface 3i decreases thepressure at the discharge end of the passage 23 to induce a flow of thesecondary liquid held by the container it up through the tubular memberI8,

passage I1, bore [6, passage 23 to the nipple 24 from whence it isdischarged. It will be seen that the secondary liquid is discharged fromthe nipple at the point where the atomized water is forcibly directed asa converging stream intothe orifice 32'. As the atomized water has a,relatively high velocity and converges onto the secondaryliquid from allsides thereof the two'liquids are thoroughly intermixed, Furthermore, asthe spherical sheet of atomized water converges'onte' the secondaryliquid at the orifice 32, the comingle'd liquids are forced through thesame into the mixing chamber 34 where the liquids are more thoroughlycomingled before they are discharged under pressure through the openings35 in the form of a spray.

It will be seen now that the water and the secondary liquid are verythoroughly comingled before'the'sa-me are discharged. As has been seenthe water is first atomized before it is diverted into the'orificewhere'the secondary liquid is discharged from the nipple 24- and theatomized waterwill more completely mix with the secondary liquid thanwould a' solid stream of water. Furthermore as the comingled liquidsenter the mixing chamber in a very turbulent state the-mixing action,because of the agitation of the-liquids and expansion of the same in thechamber, is increased and the liquids are intimately'intermixed beforedischarge through the openings 35.

The secondary liquid may be any type of liquid desired such as bathoils, soaps, perfumes, antiseptics or the like. The secondary liquidmight be a liquid fertilizer or an insecticide forit will be apparentthat the device of the presentinvention might be attached to a gardenhose or like source of water under pressure and used to dispose a liquidfertilizer, an insecticide or other solutions useful in horticulture.

To permit a user tovar-y the solution strengthof the discharged liquids,a valve 41 is formed-in the passage ll. The valve is provided with anactuator 42 by means of which the valve can be moved to decrease orincrease the fiow of the secondary liquid up through the passage H.

As the body forming the spray head ofthe device of the present inventionis formed of a plurality of easily detachable pieces the interior of thesame can be quickly exposed for cleaning if it should appearthat suchaction was necessary during use of the device.

Although the now preferred embodiment of the present invention has beenshown and described herein it is to be understood that'the presentinventionis not to be limited thereto for it is sus ceptible to changesin form and detail within the scope .of the appended c a ms- I claim:

1. A device of the type described, comprising: a body having apassageway therethrough; means for admitting a pressurized liquid intoone end of said passageway; means intermediate the ends of saidpassageway for dividing the stream of liquid flowing through saidpassageway into a plurality of parallel, circumferentially spacedsmaller streams having a relatively high velocity; baflle means disposedsubstantially transversely of said smaller streams at the discharge endsthereof for impact-atomizing said streams and convergently directing theatomized streams into mutual intersection; and a conduit from a sourceof secondary liquid leading into said body and terminating at saidintersection centrally of said smaller streams whereby a supply of saidsecondary liquid is induced into the smaller streams at the mutualintersection thereof thereby intermixing and comingling said liquids.

2. A device of the type described, comprising: a body having apassageway therethrough; means for admitting a pressurized liquid intoone end of said passageway; means intermediate the ends of saidpassageway for dividing the stream of liquid flowing through saidpassageway into a plurality of parallel, circumferentially spacedsmaller streams having a relatively high velocity; bafille meansdisposed substantially transversely of said smaller streams at thedischarge ends thereof for impact-atomizing said streams andconvergently directing the atomized streams into mutual intersection; aconduit from a source of secondary liquid leading into said body andterminating at said intersection centrally of said smaller streamswhereby a supply of said secondary liquid is induced into the smallerstreams at the mutual intersection thereof thereby intermixing andcomingling said liquids; and an expansion chamber located forwardly ofsaid mutual intersectiqn into which said comingled liquids are directedfor further intermixing.

3. A device of the type described, comprising: a body having apassageway therethrough; means for admitting a pressurized liquid intoone end of said passageway; means coaxially mounted within saidpassageway intermediate the ends thereof and cooperative with the wallof said passageway for dividing the stream 7 of liquid flowing throughsaid passageway into a plurality of parallel, circumferentially spacedsmaller streams having a relatively high velocity; bafile means disposedsubstantially transversely of said smaller streams at the discharge endsthereof for w impact-atomizing said streams and convergently directingthe atomized streams into mutual intersection; a conduit from a sourceof secondary liquid leading into said body and terminating at saidintersection centrally of said smaller streams whereby a supply of saidsecondary liquid is induced into the smaller streams at the mutualintersection thereof thereby intermixing and comingling said liquids;and wall means forming an expansion chamber located forwardly of saidmutual intersection into which said comingled liquids are directed forfurther intermixing; and at least a part of said wall means beingperforate and exit means for forming said intermixed liquids.

4. A device of the type described, comprising: a body having apassageway therethrough; means for admitting a pressurized liquid intoone end of said passageway; means intermediate the ends of saidpassageway for dividing the stream of liquid flowing through saidpassageway into a plurality of parallel, circumferentially spacedsmaller streams having a relatively high velocity; the wall of saidpassageway circumscribing the discharge ends of said smaller streamsbeing dome-shaped and forming a spheroidal surface against which saidsmaller streams are impinged to impact-atomize the liquids thereof andto convergently direct the same in spheroidally moving streams intomutual intersection; and a conduit from a source of secondary liquidleading into said body and terminating at said intersection centrally ofsaid smaller streams so as to enable the latter to induct secondaryliquid from said source into central contact with said spheroidallymoving streams at the mutual intersection thereof whereby said liquidsare intermixed and comingled.

5. A device for mixing and dispensing a plurality of liquids,comprising: a tubular body; means for admitting a pressurized liquidinto the one end of said body and directing the same longitudinally ofsaid body; a conduit connectable to a source of fluid leading into saidbody and having a terminal portion coaxially disposed in the bore ofsaid body; plug means coaxially carried by and forming an extension ofsaid terminal portion closing the bore of said body, said plug meanshaving a plurality of circumferentially spaced, longitudinally extendingchannels formed in the outer surface thereof for dividing the liquiddirected longitudinally of said body into a plurality of small streamshaving a relatively high velocity; the bore of said body terminating ina spheroidal surface eircumscribing the free end of said plug meansagainst which said small streams are impinged, said spheroidal surfaceconstricting the bore of said body and REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,040,890 Wrentmore May 19, 19362,044,088 Lord June 16, 1936 2,316,781 7 Fox Apr. 20, 1943 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 20,122 Great Br tai Sept. 11, 1911

